More girls than boys smoke and drink, say gardaí

GIRLS smoke and drink more than boys and are only slightly less likely to use drugs, according to research for the gardaí.

The survey of more than 3,000 second year and fifth year students in the Waterford/Kilkenny and Kerry garda divisions showed one-quarter of females smoke at least once a week, compared to 22% of male students.

When asked if they had been drunk in the last month, 34% of girls and 31% of boys said they had, according to the Garda Research Unit study.

One in four boys admitted they have taken drugs, compared to 21% of girls, but more girls (2.8%) than boys (2.2%) said they had taken ecstasy.

Just under half of students surveyed said they had either never received drugs-related information in school or believed a lot more should be provided.

“Renewed emphasis should be placed on drugs, alcohol and tobacco-related education in both environments,” said the report published in the latest volume of The Irish Journal of Education.

The students were more likely to have taken drugs in public areas, in their house or that of a friend, or at discos. Those who said they had drank in the past referred to pubs, the family home and friends as the three main sources of alcohol.

The main reasons cited for using drugs were curiosity or to feel high, but 11% of girls and 8% of boys said they did so to forget their problems.

Meanwhile, latest international research suggests that children who enjoy school are less likely to smoke or suffer ill health.

According to the World Health Organisation study Health Behaviour in School Aged Children (HBSC), 17% of Irish 15-year-olds who are happy at school smoke. But among those who report negative experience, such as lack of support from classmates or feeling under pressure, the figure almost doubles to 32%.

Of Irish 15-year olds who enjoyed school, only 41% reported experiencing two or more health symptoms such as headache, stomach ache or dizziness, compared to 90% of those with a negative school experience.